Card-counter



C. E. CARROLL.

' CARD COUNTER. APPLICATI ON FILED JUNE 16, 1920.

1,393,009. Patented Oct. 11, 1921,

3 J. 5 T1o l3 Invenlbr,

. Char7esE.Ca"/'r0;

. "UNITED STATES PATENT osricsc iw CHARLES a. cannon, or MALDEN, raassaonusnrrs.

omen-countries.

To all whom itonag concern Be it known that I, (Jr-mamas E. CARROLL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Maiden, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of lllassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carcl-Qounters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specilication. I

One of the most expensiveandlaborious details in connection with social, industrial or religious surveys, or in population cen suses, is the tabulation of the facts gathered, whether as results of postal or letter inquiriessent to informants or correspondents, or as results of card schedules filled out by special investigators, canvassers, or enumerators. I I r v The object of this invention is the cons ruction of a device whereby a large quantity, up to several hundreds at the same time, either of sheets of paper, postals or cardboards of practically any standard size, weight or thickness, can be counted in only a few moments, with practically perfect accuracy, especially when a magnifying glass is used in. reading the exact location of an indicator.

The so-called throwing, or easy hand sorting method of variouslygrouping or classifying the sheets or-cards,according to the particular facts to be tabulated, is substituted for the very expensivemachine sorting devices sometimes used; and, as each classification is completed, the sheets or cards are placed'inthe counter comprising my invention, and the total resultsas indicated on a scale 1s recorded on tabulation sheets, instead of the slow and laborlous methodof tallying the individual items of the total result.

In carrying my invention into effect, I prefer to provide a base carrying a plurality of different scales, and means for conveniently comparing a bunch of the cards or sheets with the appropriate scale; the same being employed in connection with a device for. determining thethickness of one or a specified number of the cards or sheets on which the particular facts have been gathered, and thereby noting the particular scale with which a bunch of cards or sheets is to be compared.

The apparatus which I have devised for this purpose is preferably constructed to be of two-strips of wood 1 spaced from each "aid. {in holdii g Specification of Letters Patent. .Pfijgnted gt, 11, Application filed'June 16, 1920. Scria1-Noa389,511.' I

laid horizontally upon a. table or other support, but Ialso adapt it for being vertically disposed, or nearly so. In each case the base isprovided with a stationary bracket, and a movable bracket slidable toward and fromthe stationary bracket. I also prefer to have the comparison scales carried by the base with their zero points adjacent the stationary bracket, so that the juncture of the scale selected and the face of the slidable bracket toward the stationary bracket will reveal the number of cardsor sheets consolidated between thebrackets. I

7 It is, therefore, only the Work of a moment to introduce a selected group or bunch of cards or sheets on edge between the brackets, to press the movable bracket snugly against the same, and to take the readingon the scale which designates the number of the cards or sheets resting upon the base; whereas to count the same number would requirethe expenditure of many minutes of time and much labor.

In. the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l isa perspective view of a counter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section; Fig. 3 isaplan view of a part of the base of the device: Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view showing a means for removably attaching the stationary bracket to the base. Fig. 5 illustrates one means for calipering a sample number of cards or letter sheets. y

The base of the device consists preferably other and attached to andsupported by cross pieces 2 at their ends. From one end of'tlie base 1 rises "thestationary bracket 3 preferably made removable by means of short dowels as illustrated in Fig. I; Braces 5 this bracket upright, these bracesjbeing iieferably formed witln fe'et 6 caily thereon.

for enablingthe deyi'ce" he stood vertion, theslidable control ,be'ing'a brace9 which fits loosely in the slot 10 formed by the spacing of the twoparts of the base.- r H l' The quantity of cards 11 or other sheets to be counted being placed against the bracket upon the base 1, the movable bracket '7 is slid into firm contact therewith, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Inset within a suitable recess 12 in the upper surface of each Forthe better manipulation of the movable bracket 7 I locate a screw rod 14 within the slot '10 engaging a groove 15 in the under edge of the brace 9, this groove being threaded to fit-the screw rod whereby the rotationof the latter propels the bracket along the base. This rod-engaging element 15 18 formed as a groove in order to.

permit the ,bracket 7 to be removed from the base and returned thereto close to the bunch of cardsor papers, the screw rod being rotated by an actuating head 16 sufficiently to properly consolidate the cards.

In or-derthat the consolidating action of the screw rod 14: may be uniform I attach a-leaf spring 17 to the end of the base at 19,

and have the bearing 20 of the screw rod rest against it in a manner to press the free end of the spring awayfrom thebase when the proper degree of consolidation has been reached, as'indica-ted in Fig. 3. Thebearing block 20 is, of course, loose in the slot 10 to permit its free re-action against the spring 17 through which the screw rod freel passes. r r A ter a bunch of cards has thus been consolidated, they may be removed and the scale-reading noted at the inner surface of the bracket .7, but I prefer to enable the readings to be read before the cards are removed. 'Tothis end, a hole 21 is made through the bracket 7 cutting through to thelatters bottom edge, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. By making this hole tapering, an indicator point 22 is formed by means of which the correct marking is more readily seen.

For determining which scale to employ for a certain quantity of cards or letter sheets, some well known formof microme-' ter caliper may be used, or, instead, a simple type ofalligator caliper can be used, such as is shown in Fig. 5. By introducing a small bunch of ten cards between the jaws 23, 2st and noting in which notch of the jaw 24 they most perfectly fit, thejletter over the notch, as B, designates'the scaleto be used.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A counting device for cards and the like comprising a horizontally extended base, a stationary bracket rising from near one end of said base, a bracket slidably carried by said base, means for moving the slidable bracket toward the stationary bracket, and a scale supported by the base to lie. beneath the cards to he stood upon the base, the zero point of said scale being flush with the surface of the stationary bracket next to the cards, whereby the outermost card adjacent the movable bracket will by its position on said scale designate the number of the cards between.

2. A counter device comprising a base, a stationary bracket thereon, a slidable bracket thereon, a screw rod for moving the slidable bracket, the latter being adapted to be lifted out of engagement with said screw rod, and a scale having markings and numerals thereon disposed for indicating the total number of cards'and thGdlkGCOlb solidated between said brackets.

3. A counter oeviceycomprising .a base having a longitudinally disposed slot therein, a stationary bracket, a slidable bracket. a screw rod located in said-slotand adapted topropel the slidablejbracket, a slidable bearing for said screw rod, and a leaf spring attached at one end to the base and pressing said bearing toward said brackets,

whereby the degree of pressure applied by said screw rod to a quantity of sheets-placed on edge between said brackets is indicated by the deflection of said leaf spring.

4.. A counter device comprising a base having a shallow recesstherein, a scale having a plurality of markings thereon fitted to be removably located in said recesses, a stationary bracket, and a slidable bracket movable toward the stationary bracket to designate in connection with one of said scale markings the number of sheets consolidated between the said brackets. p

5. A counter. device comprising a base having a scale in its surface, a stationary bracket, and a slidable bracket movable to-: ward the stationary bracket, the slidable bracket having a hole in its lower edge to permit reading the scale at the inner surface of the bracket.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing CHARLES CARROLL. 

